Amelia O'Relly
Patient Advocate, North Carolina
Highlights
- Speaker, Innovations in care: What you know matters
- LBBC Hear My Voice Advocate 2022
- Founder of how to Breast cancer @thebreastcancerguide.com
- Helps people with breast cancer, their loved ones, caregivers, and community
Amelia is the founder and lead of how to Breast cancer @thebreastcancerguide.com, an organization fully dedicated to helping breast cancer patients, their loved ones, caregivers, and community by providing a central source of easy-to-use tools and practices developed from a patient’s perspective. Formally launched in October 2021, this online hub partners with other like-minded breast cancer organizations focused on advancing research, development, and ongoing support to improve the patient experience.
Amelia’s inspiration to create how to Breast cancer began after receiving her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2019 and beginning a cancer journey that is still ongoing. During this time, she’s learned that while much information exists about breast cancer, there is a need for a centralized place that is user-friendly and speaks directly from the experience of those who know and live it every day — a resource created from personal knowledge, experience, and empathy.
Prior to founding how to Breast cancer, Amelia spent over twenty years in executive roles with a focus on human resources for several fortune 50 companies, spanning multiple industries and countries. She was born in Havana, Cuba, and immigrated to the U.S. with her parents and sister in 1980. Amelia grew up in the Tampa, Florida, area and earned her bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of South Florida. She now devotes her time to creating the very best tools and resources to help others navigate their breast cancer journey and is currently working on her first book. She resides in North Carolina with her life partner and enjoys traveling abroad and visiting her family in Florida.
As an extension of the work I do with my organization, How to Breast Cancer, I am focused on helping as many people as possible navigate their cancer journey. Our focus continues to be to support great organizations like Living Beyond Breast Cancer and its incredible mission.